WV Regional Capital ♕ Viva! La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad de Iloilo! ♕Ilonggo Heartland★To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ♥ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ☀ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ♦ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.★
♨ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ♫ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ♙

DMCI Power Corp. has received proposals on possible tie-ups for a coal-fired power plant it plans to construct in Panay Island, after talks with original partner, First Gen Corp., stalled.

Nestor Dadivas, DMCI Power president, said the company “ha[s] received very interesting proposals from other parties” for its 100-megawatt coal plant project.

He failed to identify the potential partners in the project but disclosed that talks with Lopez-controlled First Gen have yet to prosper.

Despite this, DMCI Power intends to push through with the P7-billion project in Conception, Iloilo, which is targeted for completion by 2010. The company expects to break ground within the first quarter of the year.

“With or without a partner, this project will push through,” Dadivas said.

The plant will use “clean coal technology” and will utilize coal from Semirara Mining Corp., another DMCI company based in Antique.

DMCI Power is negotiating with foreign and local financing institutions to raise the needed money for the construction of the coal plant.

Dadivas said that DMCI Power is also mulling a 25-megawatt coal unit in Masbate province.

“We continue to explore possibilities of putting up coal-fired plants for some industrial plants considering the significant savings they can earn from shifting from diesel or bunker fuel to coal which is much cheaper and is available locally,” he added.

__________________ILOILO-The Heart of the Philippines [ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ]ILOILO CITY: "The Next Big Thing".... DINAGYANG: "Larger Than Life""you brigthen my day, showin' me my direction ... A Smile In Your Heart"

OPPOSITORS concerned with perceived ill effects of a coal-fired power plant should also be worried with second-hand engines used in public utility jeepneys and buses.

This was the call of geologist Mario Marasigan, director of the Energy Utilization Management Bureau under the Department of Energy.

Marasigan was the resource person of a forum on circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology in coal-fired power plants at the West Visayas State University conference hall Thursday.

The forum was sponsored by the Coal Evaluation Task Force of Iloilo City.

Marasigan said the public should also be concerned with PUJ and PUB buses which run on second-hand, diesel engines because these vehicles also emit pollutants.

“If the issue is pollution and we are concerned with the technology used in power plants, we should also be concerned with second-hand engines because they are also major pollutants,” Marasigan said.

Citing the case of Metro Manila, Marasigan said the transportation sector is now primary cause of pollution in the National Capital Region.

While he has been exploring renewable sources of energy, Marasigan said they have also been working on SFB technology in coal-fired power plant.

The DOE executive said CFB significantly reduces emissions from coal-fired power plants such as nitrous oxide, sulfur oxide, and total suspended particles (TSP).

Marasigan said CFB enhances the efficiency of coal combustion which results in lesser emission levels.

Aside from the technology used in coal plants, Marasigan said the type of fuel (coal) is also a factor in terms of emissions.

He also said that coal-fired power plants using CFB have lower emissions than the standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

When asked by a panelist if he is willing to reside near a coal-fired power plant, Marasigan said he is willing to leave Metro Manila because of the pollution brought about by vehicles using second-hand engines.

NOT SO CLEAN

Contrary to the contentions of environmental groups, Marasigan said renewable sources of energy can pollute the environment.

He said water impounded in dams of hydroelectric plants emit methane which contribute to the so-called global warming.

Some environmentalist groups also raised concerns regarding sulfur emitted by geothermal power plants.

Wind farms not only mar the aesthetic value of an area and endanger migratory birds but they can also cause noise pollution, Marasigan added.

“In fact, in Germany the common complaint against wind farms is noise pollution,” Marasigan said.

Marasigan said potential sources of renewable sources are not enough to address the growing power needs of Panay.

“The combined renewable power sources of Panay can produce 80-90 MW of power but this is not enough for Iloilo alone,” Marasigan said.

He also said the Philippines can never be dependent on renewable sources of power because these are expensive and unstable.

Marasigan also asked the public to support the biofuels sector which will drastically decrease pollution from motor vehicles and reduce dependency on petroleum.

__________________ILOILO-The Heart of the Philippines [ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ]ILOILO CITY: "The Next Big Thing".... DINAGYANG: "Larger Than Life""you brigthen my day, showin' me my direction ... A Smile In Your Heart"

__________________ILOILO-The Heart of the Philippines [ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ]ILOILO CITY: "The Next Big Thing".... DINAGYANG: "Larger Than Life""you brigthen my day, showin' me my direction ... A Smile In Your Heart"

ILOILO City has received a P5-million grant from international institutions German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) for consultancy projects.

Mayor Jerry Treñas yesterday said GTZ and ADB will finance the implementation of Cities Development Initiatives Alliance (CDIA) here.

“The projects include pre-feasibility studies for the Central Business District which focuses on restoration, renovation and preservation of old buildings and to enhance economic activities in downtown area,” Treñas explained.

CBD or the Heritage Zone has been a striving business hub which covers the streets of J.M. Basa, Aldeguer, Mapa, Guanco and Iznart in the heart of city.

The mayor added that another focus is the eco-port project to be established at the Rotary Park area at Fort San Pedro which will serve as new link to Guimaras Island to boost economic and tourism activities.

The feasibility studies will assess the environmental impact, economic aspect, social impact and sectoral consultations of said development projects.

“The program involves capability building for tourism and infrastructure development as well as tie-up with possible funders. We can’t expect assistance anytime, once the project culminates, we can at least work on our own,” Treñas clarified.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has assured the public that it is rushing work on major flood control projects nationwide in preparation for the rainy season and with the peak of construction months fast approaching.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said that upon completion, these flood control projects will not only protect properties and lives but will also build trust and confidence for more investment opportunities that will pave the way for economic development.

Among these major flood control projects are the Caloocan-MalabonNavotas-Valenzuela (CAMANAVA) Flood Control and Drainage Improvement Project and the West Manggahan Floodway Project, both in Metro Manila; the Laoag River Basin Flood Control, the Sabo Dam Project, and the Agno Flood Control Project in Northern Luzon; the Iloilo Flood Control Project in the Visayas; and the Agusan River Basin Development Lower Agusan Development Project in Mindanao.

These projects are part of President Arroyo’s infrastructure legacy program aimed at improving living conditions in critical areas nationwide, Ebdane said.

Based on DPWH records, the CAMANAVA Flood Control Project in Metro Manila is already 86 percent complete as of last December. The project entails the construction of protective dikes, installation of pumping stations and floodgates, and the improvement of drainage facilities in the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela.

The area is known as one of the most flood-prone areas in Metro Manila. The project is considered one of the government’s priority projects.

The department also reported the completion of the P2.35-billion West Manggahan Flood Control Project, which involves the construction of lakeshore dikes, regulation ponds, pumping stations, floodgates, parapet walls, and bridges along Napindan River serving the municipality of Pateros and the cities of Taguig and Pasig.

In Northern Luzon, the Laoag River Basin Flood Control and Sabo Project is nearing completion. The project was divided into two packages with the first package already completed. Package 2 is already 94.26 percent complete.

The project includes the improvement of the Laoag River Basin, including the construction of earth dikes, flood walls, sluiceway, and the sabo dam.

On the other hand, the Agno Flood Control Project-Phase II is divided into three packages: Package 1 costing P1.3 billion is 92.09 percent complete; Package 2 costing P1.15 billion is 40.24 percent complete while Package 3 is now fully completed.

The project involves the improvement of Bayambang Stretch floodway, Bayambang guide channel, social development for the Poponto Retarding Basin and the construction of the Hector Mendoza Bridge.

Meanwhile, the R4.2billion Iloilo Flood Control project in the Visayas is midway to completion. Divided into two packages, Package 1 is 34.54 percent complete while Package 2 is already 67.58 percent complete, ahead by 17.30 percent,s compared to its scheduled accomplishment rating.

The project involves the improvement of Tigum, Aganan, and Jaro River which includes the raising of river banks, excavation of high water channel, excavation and embankment of diversion structures, development of relocation sites, and improvement of existing drainage facilities.

In Mindanao, the Lower Agusan River Development Project is divided into four packages: Packages 1 (P796.7 million), 2 (P 468.7 million) and 3 and 4 (P12 Million). Packages 1, 2 & 3 are now complete, while Package 4 is already 87.75 percent complete.

The project involves the improvement of Agusan River, Magsaysay Bridge reinforcement, Banza River dredging, construction of Banza River pedestrian bridge, Masao River dredging, and the improvement of Butuan City urban drainage system.

EVEN men of the cloth have varying opinions on the proposed construction of a coal-fired power plant in Iloilo City.

While some personalities of the Archdiocese of Jaro have voiced their opposition to the project, one priest has no qualms about the presence of the plant in the middle of the city.

Fr. Espiridion “Boy” Celis, parish priest of Mandurriao, Iloilo City, said there is nothing to oppose in the project.

Celis said he visited a coal-fired power plant in Mabalacat, Pampanga to investigate the actual effects of the plant on surrounding communities.

“I have gone to Mabalacat. I interviewed the people around Mabalacat. I even talked to the parish priest of Mabalacat and I was asking them if there is something that must be opposed in the coal-fired plant and the answer is no. There is nothing,” Celis said.

Celis added: “Even if it was raining when I got to Mabalacat, I forced myself because I knew I have to make a very educated opinion.”

Celis said he also studied the technology used in coal-fired power plants “and I am very technologically-founded on the matter.”

FOR AND AGAINST - A banner in front of the Mandurriao parish church (topmost photo) endorses the proposed coal-fired power plant but the St. Clement’s church in LaPaz district wants renewable sources of energy. (FAA)

“I am discussant with the technology of the coal-fired power plant (which is) clean coal, the one especially of Mabalacat plus the new one that has come out in Illinois which is really very, very clean coal. I could not see where we are coming from with all of these fears,” Celis said.

Environmental groups and some priests led by Msrgr. Melition Oso of the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center are opposing the coal-fired power plant citing perceived environmental and health risks.

Banners denouncing the project are seen hanging on the gates of the Jaro Cathedral and the St. Clement’s Church in LaPaz.

But outside the Mandurriao parish church, there are two banners extolling the proposed coal-fired power plant as the solution to brownouts and expensive electricity.

“I have sized the situation of the city of Iloilo and I have come to the conclusion that the only right thing to do is to support the coal-fired power plant,” Celis said.

Celis also said that the Archdiocese of Jaro or even Archbishop Angel Lagdameo has yet to make a definite stand on the issue.

He said that he has been waiting for the stand of Lagdameo but “there have been mention about our going against the coal-fired power plant.”

“This is purely a civic and scientific stand. There is nothing that should come in except the moral aspect if it were really harmful. Actually, we did not receive any statement saying that the Church or the archbishop was against it. I was asking about it and nobody said anything,” Celis said.

He also cited the disadvantaged position of Panay in terms of tapping renewable sources of energy which is also one of the advocacies of anti-coal personalities.

“Where are you going to get geothermal in Panay? Where are we going to get hydropower in Panay. All our rivers are only rivers when it rains. There is not fixed source of water. Plus, if you are going to dam up a certain area, how many hectares of farmland will be destroyed? We do not want to fight the farmers. Can these people tell us which farms they are going to submerge before anything else?” Celis said.

One of the reasons Celis saw that prompted him to support the project is the lack of stable and reliable source of electricity in Panay and Iloilo.

“We are at the begging end of the energy line. Anybody in his right mind would not want to be in that position. Cebu, Bohol, Bacolod will all get a drink of the water because it gets to the Ilonggos. Now even if the water is flowing, I do not want to put the city at the mercy of other provinces.”

As regards the issue of global warming brought about by greenhouse gas emissions from industrial and power plants, Celis said a coal-fired power plant in Panay will hardly worsen the problem.

“China definitely will open two coal-fired power plants every week for the next three and half years. It is like opening a very, very big oven for global warming. Will you scold Iloilo for lighting a candle because it will heat the world? I don’t think we are proportion here. There are 24 coal-fired power plants in the Philippines, why Iloilo should have not one? I do not understand,” Celis said.

He said that carbon dioxide emissions “can be traded off with a hectare or two of trees.”

The parish priest of Mandurriao said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has given him a written statement that they are able to monitor (a coal-fired power plant). “If a corporation is able to observe the legal limits and standards of these country’s laws, shouldn’t they be allowed to operate?”

As to fellow priests opposing the project, Celis said it might be there personal opinion because they have their own scientific basis.

“They might be stronger, they might have all of these scientists backing them. But remember this is the realm of truth and remember only one scientist is enough to topple hundreds of scientists all over the world.”

Celis also does not mind being called a “heretic” because of his stand. He stressed that while they must save the people from disasters, they are also obliged to give the poor opportunities.

“I have never been afraid of the truth. The truth has to be defended. I guess in this whole story I am the heretic. Everybody seems to believe that there is panic situation because of global warming and everything. I don’t even understand those stuff. But there is one thing I understand – I’m sure that Iloilo will not contribute one-twentieth of China’s (emission). I feel that Iloilo is looking at the professionals. Let us listen to the professionals and make up our minds that Iloilo has its needs that must be answered. Unless we have investors (in renewable sources of energy), we should keep our mouths shut. Where are we going to get the investors for all of the things they are pushing? Are they willing to invest? I don’t see any investor coming in.”

__________________ILOILO-The Heart of the Philippines [ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ]ILOILO CITY: "The Next Big Thing".... DINAGYANG: "Larger Than Life""you brigthen my day, showin' me my direction ... A Smile In Your Heart"

Okay, I'm acting stupid because Dinagyang is today but I spent most of the day at Guimbal but I was in Paseo from 6 to 8 pm today. So many people! I'm estimating it breached one million.

Guimbal is currently constructing a new seaport.

__________________

I always wonder why people in SSC fight over who has "better possessions" when the real battle is always poverty and social justice. It's sad to see a nation as great as the Philippines being divided into selfish regions for titles that would probably be forgotten in a week's time.

I believe people always fail to ask: what is real development?

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do, and by the grace of God I will do it. - Professor Winnie Monsod

THE 50-hectare Parc Regency Residences is the “most welcome” development in the town of Pavia because of its unique and practical features giving clients the best value for their money.

Developed by Property Company of Friends (Pro-Friends), Parc Regency is an added attraction to the booming Pavia town. With its 1,000-square meter clubhouse, this property development project is touted to be the biggest and most beautiful not only in Iloilo but in the whole island of Panay.

The clubhouse features function rooms, a family KTV, a gym with a shower area, a covered court for basketball, volleyball or badminton games, and game rooms for darts, billiards and table tennis. It also boasts of standard amenities that surpass expectations: a swimming pool, a children’s playground and a shuttle service.

Parc Regency also has beautiful linear parks that further distinguish it from other property development projects.

Pro-Friends, a property development company that started its operations in February 1999, was established by a group of dynamic individuals with a common vision of providing affordable quality homes in a real setting in the belief that building better homes means better lives.

Parc Regency is the group’s first major development project in Visayas. Strategically located in Ungka II in Pavia, Iloilo, Parc Regency is a kilometer away from the boundary of Iloilo City and is highly accessible via the public transport system. The new Iloilo airport is situated in the adjacent town of Sta. Barbara, just a few kilometers away.

The project offers three house models at present – Olive, an 80-square meter house on a 120-square meter lot; Palms, with a floor area of 60 square meters and a typical lot area of 120 square meters; and Lotus, with a floor area of 40 square meters and a lot area of 100 square meters.

__________________ILOILO-The Heart of the Philippines [ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ]ILOILO CITY: "The Next Big Thing".... DINAGYANG: "Larger Than Life""you brigthen my day, showin' me my direction ... A Smile In Your Heart"

City Mayor Jerry Treñas asked the City Engineers Office (CEO) to check on the possibility of constructing a second floor for the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand to accommodate more spectators during Dinagyang festival.

Treñas's request was an offshoot of shortage of seats due to the reduction of judging areas. The chief executive also noted that the number of visitors coming to the city has tremendously increased. The rise in the tourist arrival could be attributed to the title copped by the Dinagyang as the best tourism event in the country.

At present, the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand could only accommodate some 2,000 people. The city has to build another stage fronting the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand to accommodate spectators who want to witness the competition at the judging area number one.

Foreign dignitaries, senators, congressmen, mayors and even stars prefer to stay at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.

In previous years, the Grandstand underwent reconstruction to provide more seats for the visitors during the festival. Politicians likewise used the grandstand for their grand rallies.

WV Regional Capital ♕ Viva! La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad de Iloilo! ♕Ilonggo Heartland★To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ♥ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ☀ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ♦ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.★
♨ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ♫ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ♙